Not sure they’re Super, but Patriots sure have improved

With the moves they’ve made to address some of their needs this offseason, the Pats have bettered their team and have positioned themselves well for the upcoming NFL draft.

Glen Farley

Don’t fit ’em for Super Bowl XLIV rings just yet.

Can we at least get to the season’s first pitch from Josh Beckett at Fenway next Monday before we put in the call to Jostens to order some serious football bling?

Give the New England Patriots a thumbs up for the work they’ve done this NFL offseason, however.

Ultimately, it could go a long ways toward putting those rings on their fingers.

How have the Patriots improved in the three months that have transpired since they closed out their 2008 season with an 11-5 record that was good, but not good enough?

Let us count the ways.

First and foremost, the Patriots have improved by seeing their franchise quarterback, a man named Brady, rebound from the season-ending knee injury he suffered seven months ago next Tuesday.

Tom Brady is either getting well or, by the looks of the paparazzi’s pictures, he’s having a whole lot of fun in his misery. I’m assuming the former.

While it may not have been the grave concern that Brady’s knee became on Sept. 7, the Patriots’ secondary grew to become a primary concern over the course of last season. A year later perhaps — it can certainly be argued the issue should have been addressed once Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel was presented 57 million reasons to relocate to Philadelphia in February of 2008 — the team has been active in addressing the issue this offseason.

The signings of veteran free agents Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden (and don’t forget cornerbacks Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite were drafted last April and are in developmental stages) would seem to assure that we will never have to look at the back of Deltha O’Neal’s uniform again.

Bodden’s biggest sin may have been the company he kept: Productive in Cleveland, he was traded to Detroit last year (Springs was in Washington) where he had the misfortune of suiting up for a team that was a football version of the city’s auto industry.

While the offense isn’t running on empty, the lack of an established, upper-tier back to lead the attack — three years of Laurence Maroney have left the Patriots with more questions than answers — will likely continue to force the team to take a running back-by-committee approach. At the very least, the Pats added to their depth with the signing of Fred Taylor.

Sure, at the age of 33, Taylor’s got plenty of miles on the odometer, but the Patriots aren’t about to ask him to carry the load (345 carries for 1,572 yards in 2003) like he once did in Jacksonville. A Sammy Morris-type role (156 carries last season) would seem to be a Taylor-made role for the Jaguars’ all-time leading rusher in a backfield that can still turn to Morris, a healthy (presumably) Maroney and Kevin Faulk with BenJarvus Green-Ellis possibly on the outside looking in. While his production plummeted last season, as recently as two years ago Taylor was eclipsing 1,200 yards.

Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney (to Denver) was lost, but some might argue that replacing him with Joey Galloway (from Tampa Bay) represents a gain at the No. 3 position behind Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Granted, at 37, Galloway’s got even more mileage on him that Taylor and his production plummeted last season, but he hauled in 57 passes in 2007.

Actually, the biggest blows the Patriots have absorbed this offseason may have come on special teams, which will now be lacking the likes of Larry Izzo (New York Jets), Heath Evans (New Orleans; also creating a void at fullback), Kelley Washington (released) and long snapper Lonie Paxton (Denver).

Greg Lewis, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia and likely to assume the No. 4 receiver role, should contribute on special teams, while Nathan Hodel left the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals to fill the hole Paxton left.

Draftwise, even those of us who weren’t enthralled with the deal that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to Kansas City have to admit that it did free up salary cap space and gave the Patriots a second-round choice that is part of a package of four of the first 58 picks, six of the opening 97 and 11 overall the weekend of April 25-26. All that sets them up to address their most pressing issues, namely the linebacker and safety positions.

Imagine Bill Belichick, poised like one of those poker players you see on TV, visor on his head, wheeling and dealing on draft weekend, eight movable picks (compensatory picks — and the Patriots hold three — cannot be traded) at his disposal, pushing his chips out into the middle of the table. And with a first-round pick at 23 and another three choices in the second round, the coach has at his hand the opportunity to move up or down.

The Patriots have already made a move up this offseason.

They may not be Super just yet, but they’re headed in the right direction.

Staff writer Glen Farley can be reached at gfarley@enterprisenews.com.

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